You can dream it, but can you plan it?

It's easy to dream. It takes courage to follow a dream. And business sense to develop a smart business strategy to execute after post production.

Here are some (beginning) questions to ask yourself:

What makes this film stand out? Who's its audience? Why will movie goers invest in seeing it? What's my business plan after making it?

When I began my film journey with LIS I can honestly say that I had absolutely no clue about the 'business' side of things. Not really. I come from a string of filmmaker friends who thrive on late night brainstorming sessions, finding good deals on equipment, and whose motto is to just shoot it however we have to! Nothing wrong with that, it's quite creative in fact, but we had never (really) SOLD anything. That's the big difference we're looking at with LIS.

After my front line experience with co-producing several Aether Paranormal documentaries, building a solid brand and audience, and spending countless days experimenting with social media, I know that putting yourself out there is not enough, if you're wanting to profit financially.

More questions to ask:

What's the incentive for an investor to invest in this project? Is it a low-no risk project? If not, how can I make it less of a risk? Do I have connections to well known talent? Do I need an agency rep?

Lost In Sunshine producer, Lorie's, understanding of post survival was key in our BP. When we first decided to make it together, I remember her saying that, "anyone can make a movie... sure, we'll make it... but we need to make sure we have funds to do something with it." I'm writing from memory, but you get the picture.

More to contemplate:

Am I focused on making a movie for the buyer(s) (distributors and/or studios)? Am I focused on making a movie for my audience?

Ted Hope makes a great point in one of his latest posts, Simple Thoughts on a Big Secret. He says, "I am dismayed by those that don’t recognize how irresponsible it is to just promote or adopt a “build it and they will come” philosophy."

Lorie was so on the money. Asking for big bucks is really a (different) ball game where you have to prove yourself all over again. Indie film producer, Jane Kosek, describes the life of a producer as constantly negotiating. She says, "a film is a business. And negotiating is an art form." (read more)

After an in depth conversation this morning with a person, whose company specializes in providing seed money for premiere projects, some ideas we'd been considering for LIS were clarified.

I'm learning about the power of being able to adapt, and adjust to the circumstances of our project, rather than hanging on to an old way.

If you're not where you thought you'd be -- don't give up. Use the unexpected time slot to reevaluate your business plan, pick brains, learn, and continue to grow as an artist. Be prepared for the Good that awaits.

But don't just rush to have a plan. Take time to prepare a smart one -- all the way through. People respond to smart, even if it's giving you an hour of their invaluable, precious time.... because they know you care... and they were there once, too.

Writing and reading screenplays

I love this post by Jane Kosek. I also read "I will not read your fucking script" a few days ago, and figured someone would write that eventually! ;) What started out as a post to Jane's response turned in to a looooooong paragraph, so I decided to just elaborate on the subject here. Screenplays are a labor of love on both ends (writer/reader). If writers are REALLY passionate & serious about their craft, then they should find someone (i.e. script consultant, person in writers group, peer feedback) to get thoughtful feedback from, rather than beg or just wait for someone they know in the biz to read it - especially if they're looking for honesty. Even though it's not rocket science, it's really hard for friends to read a script if they're not familiar with the format, and especially if they're not interested in reading it to begin with! Think about how long it took you to learn HOW to effectively write one! And if they do read it, it's hard for them to give you honest feedback if they don't like it, unless they're a professional screenwriter too, in which case, hopefully there's a mutually mature respect there that can be used to its advantage. So, why beg or just wait around on someone to read your work? Begging doesn't equate to a go-getter, so don't confuse the aggression. Being thoughtful and savvy, however, will lead you to finding the right person/people who can help guide you in the right direction. So what if you have a friend of a friend in an agency? Is that different? Well, kinda. Mostly because they're probably not going to even read it - but their intern might. So sure, be more aggressive. Scream the loudest. If you've worked your ass off on it for months/years, crossed every T, done all necessary homework on the subject, researched the agency, and have a connection - then make that call. But I would encourage you to send your BEST work, because like they say, you won't have a second chance to make that first impression. Friend or no friend, it's still a business, and time is money. Furthermore, if you're not able to accept constructive criticism and work your BUTT off until you almost no longer have one, then I feel compelled to say - this business ain't for you. I've often wondered if it's right for me - but my next immediate thought is that there's NOTHING else in the world I'd want to be doing, and there it is - in bright red letters screaming - my answer. Just like any relationship, there's someone out there FOR YOU. Someone that will help you, guide you, with a tender loving touch (well, not physically I hope) and they'll enjoy every step of the way. Someone that will respect you, and believe in you. They know that you have what it takes at times you don't. In this roller coaster of a ride, who do you want by your side? Someone that will scream? Or someone that will smile and say, "breathe.. it's OK." Just keep working, keep perfecting your craft, and find people that WANT to be part of it. Remember, just like your motivation to write it, they have to have a motivation to read it!

Good indies know the rules, then break them.

I woke up this morning thinking about stories, like most of us screenwriters do! :) I was thinking of the similarities of indies, over the last year especially - ones I've heard of currently in production, and ones just now coming out....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

What Not To Do: Spiritual filmmaking & Investors

After a long night of recovery at the Ridge, (I say recovery because the past few days have been wacky, frustrating ones - damn you planet retrograde!) I awoke to information on spiritual marketing by Joe Vitale (click on link above). He considers himself to be a spiritual person, that knows no one will ever know you exist without marketing! here, here! That's one of the reasons for this blog this morning....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

It's Never Crowded Along the Extra Mile

After watching Ted Hope on TV this week, reading his blog, and Jane Kosek's response regarding DIT, I find myself in deep thought, contemplating Lost In Sunshine.

The optimist in me will never give up - no matter what. But my left-brain tells me, we must adapt. It’s only logical. We must adjust to what is going on around us and embrace it in order to achieve the level of success we aspire to, without relying on someone else to do it for us. We simply cannot place all our BP eggs in one dreamland basket. I also feel it’s smart to start from a foundation, which we already have access (i.e., twitter, facebook, etc.) to.....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

Indie Producing at its finest.

Our first production meeting with Laura, Michelle, myself and Lorie took place this afternoon in my living room. We all sat perched on my sectional with our ears gravitating towards my pink cell phone on speaker, awaiting Lorie's next words. I have to say, it wasn't fancy, but it was priceless. We were real, talented filmmakers tossing around sophisticated subject matter with clever ideas, hovering around a cell phone - indie style....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)